Teeter Totter
by Ali86cat
Summary: Jaz and Adam process their conflicting feelings, miscommunication complicates things.
1. Back and forth, around we go

_Obviously, I don't own The Brave or any of its amazingness._

 _..._

" _Look, do I want you to come with us? Of course I do. But that's why we have procedures in place, so guys like me aren't making decisions that we're not qualified to make. Now, I put you in harm's way and you're not ready? Something happens to you?"_

Top's voice had trailed off and his blue eyes had darkened at the thought of losing Jaz again.

" _I'd never forgive myself."_

The words replayed over and over in Jaz's head as the Humvee bumped along the desert road. " _Guys like me...I put you in harm's way...I'd never forgive myself..."_

Jaz shifted her gaze from the bland landscape out the window to the young captain riding shotgun beside Preach. Adam's hand loosely gripped his weapon and he glanced back as if he could feel Jaz's gaze.

Unspoken tension coursed back and forth between them as Jaz held eye contact. Her first mission after her capture, and she expected there to be some subtle differences, but Top was being extra protective. He'd split them up between the Humvees, keeping her with him, which wasn't necessarily uncommon, but it was hard not to over analyze every choice he made. He kept saying she didn't have anything to prove, but his words before her last mission had imploded continued to ring in her ears.

" _Oh, and I won't even mention how you almost dropped the kid."_

His voice had dripped with irritation and his eyes cut straight through Jaz's heart. Rationally Jaz knew it was probably just an outer expression of his frustration over the op going bad and not meant personally, but as much as she hated to admit it, it hurt. She felt betrayed, belittled, untrusted. Her father was the king of passive aggressive insults and of all the men in her life, Top was the one she had never seen traces of her father in. Until that moment.

" _I don't - I don't know if we have to have a dark side to do what we do, Jaz. But I know that I met mine."_

Top's words from their late night, post op fireside conversation rang in her ears.

" _And no matter what I do...that guy never goes away."_

It was almost like he was issuing a warning, to stay clear of him, of trusting him too much, of opening her heart to him. It was too late for that, but the confusion of all the confidence he had placed in her before mixed with the frustration he had taken out on her put Jaz in a state of turmoil.

Jaz realized she was still looking at her captain, her stare now more of a glare with all the internal conflict pulling at her heart. Heat tinged her cheeks as she jerked her eyes back to the window.

"Talk to me."

So many thoughts and feelings fought for first place in her brain, most of them ones she wasn't quite ready to voice much less share with him.

"Jaz."

Concern laced his usually confident voice.

"Look, if you're still upset with me because of our last mission, fine. But I need to know you are on and with us today, one hundred percent. I'm not risking anyone else on this team because one person is having an off day."

His assumption more than irritated her. Her eyes flashed in immediate fury as she snapped back to the present. The man was infuriating.

"Top, really?! Make up your mind. You ether trust me, or you don't. If you can't trust that I will give everything I have for this team, this family, then you and I have more problems than I realized!" Jaz knew how insubordinate the words sounded as they spilled out of her mouth, but by then it was too late to take them back.

Might as well get it all out now. "If this is how it's going to be, why did you even come back for me in Iran?" Her voice started our strong but was barely a whisper by the time she finished her question.

Adam withdrew a sharp intake of air to snap back but stopped short as Preach cut in.

"Cap, we're nearing the compound. Jaz, I'm glad to have you back on overwatch. I wasn't looking forward to my turn covering your position."

Jaz and Dalton both huffed a few deep breaths, the severity of the militant situation they were entering providing an anchor to focus in and restore the calm that was customary.

"Thanks, Preach. I'm ready." Jaz directed the last half of her comment towards Dalton, who refused to acknowledge her.

" Top..." it was half a statement, half a question. Adam finally looked back at her with an inscrutable look in his eyes.

He held her gaze for a long moment, then roughly cleared his throat before barking out, "All right then, let's go."

Preach looked on silently and wondered if Jaz had seen the sudden sheen of tears in Dalton's eyes just before he broke contact. These two needed some major help in communicating with each other. As a man, Preach had a pretty good idea where Dalton's head was at, not only feeling guilty of all that had transpired in the last month, but also realizing how important Jaz had become to him personally and not knowing how to reconcile all that in his mind and heart. As a dad of teenage girls, Preach could clearly see Jaz's desperation for approval and accurately read her outburst as a frantic scramble for the stability and confidence she had come to expect from the man who was stealing her heart but unknowingly crushing it at the same time.

There were a few perks to having a wife and three teenage daughters, after all.


	2. One thing, then another

**A/N: I don't own the Brave or any of it's wonderfulness. Thanks for the awesome reviews! As long as you're loving it, I'll try to keep them coming!**

 _"If this is how it's going to be, why did you even come back for me in Iran?"_

Jaz's whisper echoed in Dalton's mind as he balanced himself on a tree branch outside the compound warehouse window. His eyes were trained on the two dignitaries bound to their chairs inside the dimly lit room, but his thoughts were honed in on the raven haired sniper making her way to her chosen overwatch position. Guilt rose up in his throat like bile. Guilt that he had put her in harm's way back in Iran, that he had even entertained the thought of her going under cover, that he hadn't been able to rescue her in the parking garage and allowed her to be tortured, and most of all that she apparently was questioning her worth and value to the team, to him.

"Top! In position and ready to take down!"

Amir's voice blared in Adam's ear through his comms and jerked him back to reality. His team's safety was on the line and even a second of distraction could prove fatal.

 _Get it together, man!_ Adam chastised himself as he focused back in on the hostages inside. There were three men inside standing guard, various military grade weapons held in vigilant hands.

"In position," Jaz reported. "Two guards making rounds on the west side of the compound, heading away from McG and Amir. They'll intersect Preach in ... approximately one minute."

"All right, team. Amir, McG and I will take down the targets inside when Preach has a clean shot of one of the guards outside. Jaz, you take out the other guard. Preach, on your ready. Shoot clean and clear. We don't want to give any of them a chance to set off any alarms."

"Copy."

"10-4."

"Preach, your guy is coming to you in ten seconds."

"Copy that... On my count...and 3, —"

"HOLD!" Jaz interrupted frantically. Her vantage point on the hill behind the compound afforded her a view of the only road into the place which was a main reason she had chosen that spot.

"Top! A truck with at least two tangoes just pulled in. On your six in seven seconds. They'll have a direct line of sight. You've gotta get out of there!" It felt like she was watching in slow motion as the truck sped up the driveway, headlights painting a path straight for Adam.

Dalton dropped from the tree he had braced himself in and dove behind the bushes just as the truck's light swept past his position.

"Preach, watch yourself and those two guards. They've slowed their pace."

"Copy." Preach's voice was barely a whisper. He was frozen in crouch position, and while it wasn't the most comfortable position to be stuck in, it wasn't like he hadn't done it before.

The two men in the truck jumped out, weapons hanging loosely at their sides. They circled around to the open bed of the pickup and began unloading boxes.

"Jaz, do you have clear sights to the two guards?" Dalton's mind raced, trying to come up with a new plan that would work to drop as many combatants as possible without giving the others a chance to take out the hostages held inside.

"Negative. They just passed the northwestern corner and are headed around the north side of the compound. I can see all five others though."

"Copy that. Preach, can you get to a window? Amir, McG, you still have sights on the three inside?"

"Yep."

"Copy that. Moving position to the southwestern corner window. "

"10-4 on the three inside."

"All right, Jaz, you and I are going to take out Curly and Burly here at the truck. As soon as Preach is in position, we are a go to eliminate the three inside and these two. From there, Jaz will sweep up and cover the two guards who should be nearing the eastern wall."

Preach's deep rumble was clear in their comms. "In position. Ready to clear Target Turban."

"Ready to clear Target Nailbiter," Amir answered.

"On for clearing Target Mustache Guy." McG's description of his target brought an amused smile to Jaz's lips as she trained her rifle on Curly.

"Ready when you are," she affirmed.

"On my count," Adam's voice was determined. "In 3, 2, 1!"

Glass shattered as the indoor combatants were each shot simultaneously, and Curly's head exploded against the truck. Burly snapped to attention, taking cover behind the truck where neither Jaz nor Dalton had a line of sight.

"Captain!" Jaz realized they both had zeroed in on the same man, leaving one untouched. This kind of miscommunication was not like them. Usually they were on the same wavelength with minimal verbal confirmation. And now there were two guards in the dark and one firing off rounds towards the team captain.

"McG! Amir! Top is under heavy contact! I don't have a clear shot!"

Instantly the medic and covert operative were shimmying out of their trees, making their way to the front of the building as quickly and quietly as they could. Preach turned back to scan for the two guards making rounds as Jaz frantically search for them as well. They should have cleared the east wall by now, but there was no sign of them.

"Ahhh!" Searing pain torn through Dalton's arm as a bullet struck right outside his vest, imbedding itself deep into his shoulder. Jaz jerked her gaze back towards Adam at his exclamation over the comms.

"Top! Are you hit?!?" She didn't really wait for him to answer before she continued. "I'm coming down to assist. I can't get a clean shot of anyone from here."

She was already on her feet and started down the hill when Adam hissed through the radio. "Negative, Jaz. Stay where you are. Do not leave your position! Jaz! That's an order!"

Even in the blinding pain of being shot in the shoulder, all Adam could think of was Jaz putting herself in danger again. Damn it if he allowed anything to happen to her on his watch, and on her first mission back no less. Besides, the two guards making rounds were still unaccounted for and they needed eyes far enough back to cover them as soon as they reappeared. At least, that's what Adam told himself.

"Top! You need cover to get out of there!" Jaz argued, though she slowed her descent from the hill, torn between honoring the direct order and following her heart towards the wounded man at the base of the hill.

"Jaz." Dalton's breath was labored and heavy. Blackness was hazing around the edges of his eyesight and the thought of the bullet nicking an artery flitted through his mind. "Please." Another long, ragged breath as he spent every effort on staying conscious. "I came back...because...I don't think I could live...without you."

McG sprayed a burst of gunfire at the burly man crouched behind the truck, then sprinted towards the bush where Dalton lay slumped on his side, eyes glassy yet dull at the same time.

"Top! Stay with me! Jaz, how are you doing on those two guards?"

Jaz numbly stared at the medic as he applied quick pressure to Dalton's shoulder with his knee, pulling supplies out of his cargo pockets and rifling through, searching for something to stuff in the hole in Dalton's shoulder.

"Jaz!" Preach barked over the comms. The irony that he had last had to break Adam out of a daze during Jaz's capture was not lost on him. "Adam needs you focused right now. We've got to get him to safety and in order to do that, he needs you to find and eliminate those two guards! Can you do that?"

Jaz jerked to instant sniper mode and sighted one of the guards scrambling between trees, making his way towards the compound wall near Amir. She dropped him deftly and immediately began her search for the other.

Her heart dropped and skipped several beats as she felt cold steel on the back of her head and heard the telltale click of a pistol. Her mind flashed back to that white room, all sight muffled under the black bag over head, that same feeling and sound the only sensory input. Her hands trembled as she let off her sniper rifle and put them in the air.

"Please don't shoot." Jaz slowly inched her way to standing, the cold muzzle of the gun still scraping into the back of her head.

Each man on Special Ops team 7 stilled at the sound of Jaz's voice over the comms. This mission wasn't pulling any punches. With Dalton unconscious, Preach jumped into the role of leadership.

"McGuire, get Top under cover, then cover my six. I'm heading towards Jaz."

McG dragged Dalton behind the truck where he had executed the burly target then sighted his gun past Preach. He saw Amir move silently up the hillside on the other side of the warehouse, making his way behind Jaz and her captor.

Jaz saw Preach just before her captor did, but there was no time to escape. He pulled her close as a human shield, gun trained on the side of her neck.

"Got him." Amir's voice was soft but confident. "Jaz, on my count, you drop your head. 3, 2, 1!"

Jaz bowed over as the muted pop from Amir's gun struck the man holding her through the back of his skull. She scrambled out from under his arm as his body crumpled lifelessly to the ground. She stumbled into Preach's outstretched arm and together they hustled back towards McG and Dalton.

"All right team, we've got to secure the hostages and get out of Dodge before anymore unfriendlies decide to join us."

"I'm on the hostages, Preach." Amir darted inside the compound and headed for the men still bound in their chairs. "We'll meet you at the exfil location."

Jaz stood uselessly as Preach and McG lifted Dalton between them and shouldered him into the woods towards their preplanned exit.

 _"I don't think...I could live...without you."_

This was her worst nightmare, coming true right before her eyes. Top hung limp between his teammates, blood dripping on the ground behind him. Jaz knew he was losing a lot of blood, and he was the only universal donor on their team. She was no medic, but even she could see that he wouldn't last much longer without a transfusion soon.

As Jaz sprinted behind Preach, McG, and Adam, her heart echoed his last words to her. _Please, Adam. Don't die. I don't think I can survive losing you._


	3. Spinning around and around

**A/N: again, I don't own anything, just love these guys like they were real! I'll try to keep updating but it may be slow this week...can't wait for some more new inspiration tonight!**

Jaz hung back as McG rushed about, prepping Dalton for emergency transport. They finally had some blood flowing back in him, but they were all a little concerned it was too little, too late. Her heart was numb. This nightmare was worse than any torture she had endured before; worse than her father's cruelty, worse than the white room in Iran, worse than she could have ever imagined.

She didn't let herself think about the very real possibility that Top may not be coming back. If he survived the blood loss, he had a long road of rehab ahead before he would be able to use his shoulder in the ways he would need to on missions.

The medevac helo lifted off the ground with a gust of wind that momentarily pulled Jaz from her reverie. McG saluted the teammates left on the ground, then turned back to his patient, his friend.

Amir turned and headed inside to the kitchen. Cooking was a therapeutic release and he could sure use that right now. Patton whined from the door of the bunker as he watched the helicopter grow smaller and smaller in the dusty sky. Preach draped a caring arm around Jaz's shoulders and just held her. From personal experience, he knew sometimes the best thing to say to a grieving woman was nothing at all. Even though Jaz and Dalton continued to deny and fight their obvious feelings for each other, Preach hoped maybe this would jolt them into action. Life was short, especially in their line of work. You were never guaranteed the next day and like he'd said before, there was no shame in pursuing a real connection, no matter the obstacles.

Jaz felt like a little girl under Preach's arm, safe and protected, as little girls should feel around their fathers. The feeling was foreign to Jaz — but ever since her rescue on the streets of Tehran, she'd been feeling new things with each of these men in her team. Even Amir was in the picture when she thought "my family," though maybe as a second cousin or something like that. Obviously McG was like a brother, he really always had been, but Jaz had never connected his easy banter with the familial relationship before.

And Adam. He definitely wasn't in the father, cousin, or brother categories... No, Adam held a really deep, special part of her heart. They were connected on so many levels - the unwavering trust and confidence not just as CO and sniper, but mutual respect and comraderie that made casual conversations about constellations seem intimate and posing as a couple in love seem like second nature.

Their bond went deep. They understood each other in ways the rest of the team didn't, couldn't, not without enduring abuse as a child from the man who was supposed to be your protector. When Adam looked at her, with those clear eyes as deep as the ocean, he saw her. Not just the tough sniper that she put out for everyone to see, but the vulnerable girl desperate for approval and love. And while he hadn't really ever crossed that line of extending love in the usually accepted way, his quiet perception and intensity communicated as much to Jasmine's starved heart.

Jaz closed her eyes as she remembered Adam's lips pressing a kiss to her cheek as they walked through security less than a month ago. She'd smiled it off, pretending it was just part of her act, but if she was being honest with herself, there was a warmth that blossomed within her at the touch. His lips had been softer than she expected, his hand around her waist so gentle. If she kept that wedding band on her finger any longer than absolutely necessary, the distance she had so carefully constructed would come crashing down. The weight of it was cool against her skin, but the implications of marriage and forever love burned like fire.

Jaz absentmindedly rubbed that now empty spot on her left ring finger, lost in the memory of wishing that make believe could become reality.


	4. Dizzy

Obviously this is super divergent from last night's episode, but imma keep going for now ;)

Chapter 4

Preach glanced up from his paperwork at the shuffle of Jaz's feet pacing back and forth, back and forth, past the table, over to the couch, back past the table, turning again just before reaching the fridge. His eyes followed her narrowly. She wasn't putting much effort into hiding her worry over their captain's injuries.

Preach jumped in surprise when the computer in front of him buzzed, the secure communication link from DC alerting him to a video call. Jaz didn't seem to notice and continued on her mindless warpath through the barracks.

"Chief Carter, just wanted to update the team. Captain Dalton and Sgt. McGuire landed in Germany a few hours ago and are settling in at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center as we speak." Patricia's voice was cool and matter of fact.

Amir glanced over from the sink and wandered into view of the camera, wiping his hands on a towel. Concern for his Commanding Officer was clear in his dark eyes.

"Is Top going to be okay?" He asked.

Jaz continued her pacing, lost in her anxious thoughts. The ringing of the call hadn't penetrated her brain, and neither did the Deputy Director's voice.

"It's too soon to tell yet what long term damage is done, but Captain Dalton survived the flight and that was the first hurdle." Patricia squinted her eyes at the screen, noting Jaz still pacing behind Preach and Amir and not paying any mind to what she said. "The next 24 hours will be critical - he is in a medically induced coma right now, to let him rest and keep his brain calm."

Jaz noticeably stilled at the mention of "medical coma." Her face paled as she schooled her expression into a blank, almost catatonic stare.

Patricia continued, "Apparently he hit his head on the concrete wall of the compound after he was hit, so they want to proceed with caution to protect against brain damage."

Jaz silently struggled to catch her breath as her mind tried to process what she had heard. Her ears rushed like a train was passing by and black spots danced in front of her eyes. And her breath was so tight, she felt like she was gasping for air, but still she was drowning.

Jaz knew better than to stay standing, dizzy as she was. Her knees trembled as she sank to the floor, a little too fast. Amir and Preach both had their backs to her, focused on the screen in front of them, but Patricia saw Jaz stop her pacing, saw the attempt at processing the news flit across her face, saw the tremble in her legs as she crumpled to the floor.

"Jaz!"

At the deputy director's exclamation, Amir and Preach swung around to see Jaz in a daze on the bunker floor. Amir paused, unsure if Jaz would be receptive to any help from him; she had been softer than usual towards him ever since the rescue, but the intensity of her care for their captain was no secret to the team. Preach squatted gently in front of her and steadied her face in his big hands.

"Jaz," he waited until she shook herself from her stupor and focused her eyes on his. "Deep breath in...now slowly release. Breath in...and release."

Jaz could feel the breathing exercise lower her heart rate and calm her anxiety. Not lose it altogether, but enough to regain a shadow of control.

As Jaz realized all attention - including Patricia, Noah, and Hannah back in DC - was on her, she felt her cheeks begin to flame in chagrin. Preach dropped his hands from her face and offered one to help Jaz up. He led her to the couch and settled her in before returning to the video conference at the computer.

"What's going on, Chief?" Patricia's voice was concerned but quiet, low enough Jaz couldn't have made out the words had she been focused on listening.

Preach cleared his throat as both he and Amir cast sidelong glances at their teammate. Amir broke in before Preach could say anything.

"I know I wasn't here when the team lost Elijah, but I can imagine the flashbacks seeing Top shot and unconscious would bring."

The words hung in the air. Amir hoped his explanation would appease the home team. Preach finally nodded in agreement of Amir's assessment.

"Top is part of this family, Deputy Director. And when family is hurt, we rally around them. It's hard to rally when they aren't here with us."

Hannah leaned towards Patricia, a question in her eyes. "Isn't the team's deployment over in two weeks? Without their captain, why couldn't they rotate out early?"

Patricia narrowed her eyes, considering the idea. It would take some string pulling, but the idea could work. The remaining team members couldn't be tasked with a mission without a captain, and it wasn't wise to bring in someone new after the month they had just experienced.

Patricia nodded slowly, only a hint of a smile creasing her cheek. "Hannah's right. I'll make a call. Pack up, soldiers. You're coming home and your country thanks you for your service."

She ended the video call and Preach and Amir sat in stunned silence, staring unseeingly at the screen. Finally Amir lifted a hand to rest on Preach's broad shoulder.

"What a treat for your Mrs. and your daughters!"

Preach couldn't help the silly grin from escaping. It had been so long since he'd heard their voices not through a telephone line, seen their faces not through a screen, touched them with all the love and tenderness he generally locked away inside.

"Do you have family to go home to, Amir?" The newest member of the team was still somewhat of an enigma.

"My sister lives in Ohio." Amir knew the information would lead Preach to believe that's where he would end up. There were some things he still wasn't ready to share with the tight knit group.

Preach stood, already itching to get packing. Not that there was a lot to pack, and they still had to wait on the final approval, make flight plans, and finalize details. But thoughts of his beautiful wife and spunky teenagers put a spring in his step that had missing for months.

"Jaz?" He knelt beside the couch and carefully cupped Jaz's arm in his hand. Her bare skin was cold. Too cold because they were in freaking Incirlik, Turkey where they'd seen the sun and felt it's burning heat every day for the last several months. Rainy season was still a solid three months away.

"Jaz, we're going home. Patricia is clearing it as we speak. I expect we will have a team debrief in DC, but then it's off to our families and friends." He added that last part for her benefit; he didn't know a lot of details, but that she wasn't close with her family wasn't exactly a secret.

"The only family I need to see is lying on a hospital bed in a medicated coma in Germany." She spat the words out, quiet and determined. "I need to see Adam." This time her voice was barely a whisper.

Preach nodded in understanding. "I'll see if I can have us routed through Germany on our way stateside. Might as well give us a longer layover there so we can check in."

He squeezed her shoulder as he stepped away, ready to email Patricia with the request. "Preach?" Jaz's small voice brought him back.

"Thank you." The words were short but the meaning was deep and understood.

"Pack up. I have a feeling we'll be leaving very soon."


	5. Up and Down and Spun Around

Chapter 5

 **A/n: Wow! I never expected to get this far in my story! And usually when I write I like to have an outline at least in my head, but this one is just evolving one chapter at a time! Haha! Your reviews are so kind and definitely encourage me to keep going with the story! So thanks!**

 _It was like watching a poorly made movie where the production team didn't have enough money to buy a gliding camera stabilizer so they had to shoot the running scenes by hand, like a home video. Dalton caught splashes of dusty road, dirty buildings, and an occasional blur of red or bright yellow. The heavy stomp of running feet beat an unsteady rhythm in his ears._

 _It was his feet that were racing down the Arab street, chasing after someone, or was it a vehicle? Dalton shook his head mid-stride to clear his mind. No matter what it was, it was leading him towards his captured teammate, the sniper with ninja skills who had somehow wormed her way into a deep, sacred place in his heart. They had Jaz, and even though the rest of the team had been exfiltrated from the city, Dalton wouldn't, couldn't leave her behind. She was worth any risk._

 _Dalton turned down an alleyway and slowed to a confused stop. It was a dead end, just a dusty rock wall between to the buildings on either side, no ladders or doors. He looked around, desperate for a clue as to where Jaz was being held. All of a sudden, a turbaned man appeared right in front of Dalton, a cruel jeer on his face._

 _"This is your fault, you know. You will never find her, and now you will die knowing you sent her to her doom!"_

 _The man laughed in Dalton's face as he pulled his gun from his shoulder holster and pointed it at Dalton. Dalton couldn't move. His limbs stood rooted to the ground, paralyzed by the guilt of the truth. It was his fault. No one's but his._

 _Suddenly the man in front of him holstered his weapon and grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him to move._

"Top! Top! Dalton!"

 _So strange, the man's voice sounded like his medic. But why would McG be here? He was already safely out of the city._

"Wake up, Cap! It's just a dream."

Dalton shot up from the pillow, instantly awake, but still sleep-confused. The nightmare had seemed so real he could taste the thick dust in his throat and feel the hot sun on his skin. He took a few steadying deep breaths, letting reality wash over him. Jaz was safe. He was in Germany, recovering from a bullet wound that has wreaked havoc on his shoulder. The ensuing infection was no fun and while it was slowly healing, it had caused several nights of delirium and hallucination-like nightmares.

The dreams were all different scenarios, but they had one thing in common: Jaz was captured and it was his fault. He never could get to the end where he rescued her. Sometimes he arrived too late and found her lifeless body in a holding cell. Sometimes he, too, was caught. Sometimes he was shot. Always he was left with an uneasy, almost nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He had talked with the hospital psych counselor, who advised that nightmares regarding one's worst fear were totally normal, especially after experiencing similar circumstances. Normal part of healing, he said. Might be helpful to write out the nightmare, the feelings they induced, and keep a record of any possible triggers, he said.

Even though Dalton knew Jaz was fine and was being rotated back home a little early, he still felt anxious, like he needed to see her to reassure himself that was really okay. But that would never happen. He was in a German military hospital and he was her CO, for crying out loud. McG staying with him made sense - he was the medic. There was no good reason for anyone else in his unit to come visit, much less use up precious leave time staying while he convalesced.

McG's prodding fingers pulled Dalton from his ramble of thoughts. The man was thorough, but hardly gentle. Dalton grimaced as McG pressed around the bullet wound, reapplying antibiotic ointment, and recovering it with a bandage.

"So, I heard from Preach this morning." McG had a slight smile on his face that Dalton couldn't figure out. A message from Preach was unlikely to be humorous.

"Yeah, and?" Dalton pressed.

"He said that Deputy Director Campbell pulled some strings and got an extended layover for the team to stop by here on their way stateside." That sly smile was back. "He says Jaz is anxious to check in on you. Said she nearly fainted when she heard you'd been in a coma. Says maybe now the two of you can have an 'honest conversation about life and the love that fuels it.'"

McG chuckled at Dalton's expression and held up both hands. "His words!"

Dalton shook his head in exasperation. Preach, while certainly well intentioned, was always prying where he didn't belong. Dalton had his share of emotional baggage; from being physically abused by his father, mentally abused by his mother, and all the psychological abuse that inevitably invades the mind because of the reality of war. Fallujah, Iran, a stint in Afghanistan, Columbia, and all the places he'd been since taking over leadership of Spec Ops team 7.

Jaz deserved better than his mangled joke of a life. Sure, they had things in common - abuse suffered at the hands of their fathers, all their missions, a shared fascination with the stars, mutual respect for one another's military accomplishments and skills. But he was broken. Even if he wasn't her commanding officer, that was enough to give him pause on pursuing her. And as her CO, he couldn't imagine a better sniper on his team, and as a woman she offered a unique cover for missions that had been instrumental in the team's success on multiple occasions. He couldn't jeopardize the rest of the team by indulging in his own little fantasy of allowing himself to really feel what he suspected was simmering just below his carefully guarded surface.


	6. Whirling, Twirling

A/n: haha I thought Jalton were finally going to get together in this chapter but Amir just worked his cute little way into this story...

Chapter 6

Preach shouldered his pack easily and thoughtfully gripped Jaz's bag as well. Amir noted the kindness as he observed Jaz's nervous energy, her fingers nimbly working the end of her braid, her knee bouncing at a frantic pace, her lip tucked in between her teeth.

Though he had only been with the team for a fraction of the time she had, and though he and Jaz had had a rough starut, the bond of this team was strong and Amir sincerely cared about her. It was tough for all of them to think about their captain's injuries, but Amir wasn't blind to the special connection that Jaz and Dalton held for each other.

It was one of those things that so often those involved couldn't see it, but to everyone else around, it was obvious. Amir was a tiny bit jealous if he was being honest. Not of Dalton, specifically — Jaz's frosty reception ensured that from the get go. But of the bond between them that was almost sacred.

Amir's heart longed to know another like they did, intimately, instinctively. He couldn't count how many times he'd seen them communicate entire conversations solely through glances and smirks. His background as an undercover operative afforded him excellent observation skills, and his character judgement rarely erred. Dalton and Jaz, he surmised, had something really special that they each deserved to pursue.

Amir's thoughts drifted to the breathtaking woman he had recently met who usually remained on the stateside branch of the team. Her warm brown eyes had pierced through his casual rubbing of McG, turning the joke and attention from the playboy to himself. He was used to short jokes and he was glad he had learned to brush them off without taking offense. But something about the way Hannah had nonchalantly rubbed his shoulder in apology lingered in Amir's thoughts. Her smile had caught Amir's eye even before McG started in on his Joseph routine, and it had remained stunningly genuine throughout the entire exchange.

The teasing twinkle in her eyes made Amir grateful for years of honing his skills at concealing his true thoughts and feelings. That short bit of small talk and the mutual shoulder pats had replayed over and over in Amir's thoughts while he was awake and strangely enough, his dreams when he slept. Hannah's intelligent way of resolving the situation had only served to stoke the initial interest and Amir wishes they had more time to become friends. With her background in espionage, he could only imagine how much they would have in common.

And in just a few short days, the team minus their captain would be on an airplane headed her way for debrief. The anticipation slid a shiver down Amir's spine and he snuck a glance towards Preach. The man was still so focused on Jaz that he missed Amir's momentary slip of emotion. Quickly Amir schooled his features back into his normal expressionless visage and he fell into step behind the bigger man as they deboarded the plane.


	7. Two Worlds Collide

Chapter 7: Two worlds collide

Dalton sensed a presence in his room before he heard it. The nurses weren't so quiet and McG had gone to pick up the team from the airstrip. He opened his eyes and even in the darkened room, instantly made out her silhouette.

Jaz.

A monitor chirped as Dalton's heart skipped a beat. She was here. She had come. Dalton faintly heard Preach's deep voice and McG's soft reply from outside the room, but Jaz didn't say anything. She slowly crept in closer to Adam's bed, her eyes silently roaming over the monitors, lines and IVs, the bandages wrapping around his chest and shoulder, finally coming to a rest on his face.

Their eyes locked and Adam's oxygen monitor beeped, just enough to remind him to keep breathing. Jaz crept up to the bedside then hesitated, as if she had something to say but wasn't sure how to say it. Dalton's mind raced, emotions flying through his heart like wildfire. Relief to see she was safe, concern over the grief he could easily read in her liquid brown eyes, gratefulness that Patricia had been able to pull the strings necessary to make this reunion happen, and a feeling that was completely foreign to Dalton, yet felt completely at home at the same time.

There was a strange burning in his midsection that intensified as Jaz held his gaze. Unspoken connection coursed between them. Finally Dalton opened his mouth to break the silence that was both easy and yet strangely tense.

"How are —"

"McG says you're —"

Their words stumbled into each other's and they both stopped and smiled sheepishly. Dalton lifted his good hand and gestured for Jaz to continue first. "You first."

Jaz took a shaky breath in and dragged her tongue over her dry lips. So many thoughts swirled around in her mind but the one most prominent was comfort. Comfort that he was alive. Comfort he was coherent and seemed to be himself. Comfort that he was still ever the gentleman, yet never condescending.

"I - uh, I'm glad to see you're on the road to recovery." Damn, girl. On the road to recovery? How stupid can you make yourself sound? Jaz berated herself. She looked around the room uncomfortably as the machines and noises intruded on her thoughts.

Dalton heard the words, but didn't really register what she had said. Her full lips were so damn distracting. Lying here in a hospital bed, weak from no exercise and hopped up on painkillers, Dalton's normal aloofness was nowhere to be found. Usually just reminding himself of his position as CO over her was enough to keep his mind in check, whenever those random stray observations would float through his brain. She was a beautiful woman - there was no argument there, but he was determined to live up to her respect of him not seeing her as a woman first.

But right now, in the hushed room where the air was thick with emotion and shadows kept each of them cloaked from clear view, Dalton's mind rebelled from its normal discipline. Jaz's thick black hair spilled over her shoulder and covered her left cheek and eye; she shook her head to clear her face and her hair shimmered like the depths of the ocean at midnight. Her olive skin looked so soft. Dalton's fingers twitched in barely reserved desire to touch her face and see if it was really as soft as it looked - like a fresh flower blooming in the spring. The blush that tinged her cheeks cemented that mental picture. Dalton allowed his eyes to drink in the sight of her. Her wounds were healed now, but he could see a faint scar on her lip from the wound she'd incurred when he sent her into the veritable lion's den. Jarif's men had not been kind.

"Come here." Dalton lifted his hand towards her and grasped her hand when she offered it. Her grip was strong, just like she was, but her skin was soft, just like he's imagined it would be.

She said something again, but Dalton was too distracted with her hand in his to register. He pulled her hand close to his face and caressed it with his scruffy cheek, turning it to press a mindless kiss on her knuckles.

"Top..." Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered another kiss he had pressed to her cheek, sweet and gentle, even if it was strictly for a cover.

Adam searched her face unknowingly for the reason for her tears. He tugged at her hand until she sat on the bed next to him. He moved her hand to his other one and reached up with his good arm to brush the hair out of her face. The pad of his thumb tenderly traced a burning line from her cheekbones to her temple.

"Talk to me." Usually those words came out rougher, more like an order. But this time they pleaded with her.

A solitary tear spilled over and slipped down her cheek, wetting Dalton's thumb as it traveled down her face. Dalton's heart broke over seeing this vulnerable side of the woman he tended to think of a badass ninja warrior.

"I was..." her eyes closed as she tried to compose herself. "I thought you were a goner, after you got shot and I realized it missed your vest. There was so much blood, Top."

"Adam. Please, I'm in a freaking hospital bed and your leave has technically started."

"Adam," she whispered his name and he'd never heard it sound better. Her free hand slowly, tentatively moved to mirror his own, cradling his cheek in her palm. Her eyes cautiously met his, seeking permission for the gesture of intimacy.

Suddenly the door banged open and all three of the other men on the team clamored in. Jaz dropped her hand like it was on fire and shot up from the bed. Her cheek burned where Adam's hand had rested mere seconds before. She stepped back into the empty space behind one of the monitors to allow McG, Amir, and Preach space by the bed. Her hair purposefully hid her face from Adam's view as she attempted to steady herself.

Immediately after Jaz withdrew, Adam felt a strange emptiness in the pit of his stomach. The activity of the men who'd entered the room released the tension that had enveloped them just moments earlier. Adam reached his hand up to his face where Jaz had touched him, delicate as a butterfly.

Adam tried to focus in on the conversation now taking place beside him, but his mind was infinitely distracted, captured by the quiet soldier in the corner. Finally a nurse came in and gently informed the group Adam was due for a nap and they would need to leave.

Preach asked if they could take turns sitting with their captain since they were only in town for 24 hours. Jaz perked up at the suggestion and Adam felt a sliver of hope come to life in his heart. The nurse hesitated and looked at Adam as if to determine if she could trust him to rest with his team members visiting. He silently pleaded with her to give the okay and after a pause that felt like forever, she nodded. "You have to let him rest," she insisted, giving each team member a pointed look.

"Jaz, you take first watch?" Preach's eyes danced with mirth though the rest of his face remained stoic. Amir started to protest, but slumped in acquiescence when he saw Dalton's face lighting up at Preach's request.

The men filed out to continue catching up with McG in a lounge somewhere and finally it was just Adam and Jaz. The door was closed, the blinds shut, and only the monitor glowing in the darkness.


	8. In A Beautiful Display

Jaz nervously stood by Adam's bed, unsure what to do. There was a metal folding chair tucked between the head of the bed and the wall, but after three flights and seven hours' worth of layovers between Incirlik and Landstuhl, standing seemed preferable than sitting.

Dalton cleared his throat and shifted in the bed. "Jaz."

His voice was quiet but Jaz's senses were on high alert. She jumped at the sound of his voice and they both chuckled, grateful to break the tension a bit.

"Here," Dalton stretched out his right arm, motioning for Jaz to rest on the bed next to him. "It's more comfortable than the metal chair behind me, and you're not standing there beside the bed for hours on end."

Even in this fluid situation, there were vestiges of his authority as a captain that bled through. It was in his nature to protect and that was always more pronounced when it came to women and children, even more especially this particular woman.

"Top, I don't want to hurt your shoulder," Jaz protested.

"One, my shoulder is healing well and it's my left shoulder that's hurt anyway. And two, I thought we agreed that you would call me Adam." He patted the bed beside him. "Come on."

After another moment of pause, Jaz gingerly settled on the bed, taking care to keep a sliver of space between herself and Dalton. That electric intensity was back and building like wildfire. It was all Jaz could do to breathe normally.

It was no different for Adam. Perhaps this hadn't been the best idea since he was still her Commanding Officer. His body was acutely aware of hers less than an inch away. Her scent was more intoxicating than any Scotch he'd ever tasted. The pain meds he was on didn't do him any favors towards clearing his head.

Jaz turned slightly and angled her head so she could see Adam's face. Her eyes traveled his face, those intense ocean-like eyes, the boyish blond hair, the lines on his face that spoke of too much war and death, his nose that would occasionally hold up those ridiculous glasses, his strong cheek line, chiseled chin, and those lips that she knew already were oh so soft.

"Adam..." Jasmine's voice trailed in a whisper, unable to deny this magnetic pull he held over her.

He dropped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close, their bodies curling together like they were made to do so.

"Jaz..." Adam whispered in return, his left hand painfully rising up to brush her jaw with two fingers. His touch sent shivers down her spine and she curled her fingers around his thin hospital gown, careful to avoid his wound dressing.

Using his bad hand and good arm to adjust Jaz's position in his embrace, Adam brushed a tentative kiss to her temple, then further down on her cheek.

Her softness made him ache. This tough sniper had somehow found her way under his armor and she wasn't only rough and tough like she tried to portray. She was fully female and in this moment, she was all he wanted.

His lips inched towards her mouth and her lips parted in anticipation. He hesitated, that annoying voice in his head that said this could ruin any chance of them working together, that he had a responsibility to the entire team not to mess things up, that he was completely out of line to come onto one under his command like this.

"Jaz...say the word, and this goes no further," he wouldn't, couldn't just assume to know what she wanted.

Jaz froze. Was he having second thoughts? Realizing the implications of crossing the line, not like a line hadn't already been crossed with them cuddled up in his bed, fingers entwined in her hair and his bedclothes. Her eyes sought his and she felt that now familiar shiver-burn run down her arms and settle in her stomach. He hadn't said it aloud, in all honesty, he probably never would, but Jaz could clearly read unfathomable love in his eyes. He wasn't second guessing. He was giving her an out because he loved her and refused to presume on her intentions.

"Adam," she said slightly breathlessly "will you shut up and just kiss me already?"

He paused only long enough to smile and take her face in both his hands. His lips hovered over hers for a split second before they hungrily claimed hers. His fingers threaded through her thick hair, each silky strand an anchor for his soaring heart.

Her arms were cold with goose bumps, but she barely noticed; Dalton's lips were sweet and gentle, yet persistent and assertive. His fingers grazed her scalp, and she heard a faint beeping.

Jaz pulled away just long enough to realize it was Dalton's oxygen monitor that was beeping. Apparently kissing was bad for oxygen intake or something crazy like that. Adam reached a desperate hand to shut off the alarm on the monitor like he'd seen McG do before his lung capacity tests.

Once they were returned to silence, Dalton and Jaz locked eyes once again, their raw desire unmistakable.

"You are...exquisite." Adam breathed and threw caution to the wind, deepening the kiss.

Dalton's head was swimming and throbbing so much all of a sudden that he abruptly broke off kissing Jaz. He drew a steadying breath, willing himself not to give in to the unexpected waves of nausea rolling over him.

Jaz's vision cleared and she realized what was going on. A smirk danced across her face and she snuggled into Adam's chest.

"Guess the nurse knew what she was talking about when she said you needed to rest, huh, Top? I mean...Adam..." her voice started out sheepish, but softened considerably when she corrected herself.

"Yeah," Adam drew in another deep breath, still a bit shaky. "I guess she did."

"Can you rest okay if I'm here?" Jaz double checked. She loved hearing and feeling Adam's heart beating strong under her ear, even if she was on his right side.

Dalton squeezed her gently, drinking in every moment. "I feel like I'm finally home," he whispered raggedly, burying his nose in her silky hair. "You bet I can rest with you here."

The pair didn't speak again after that, but quietly rested until each of their bodies became heavy with sleep. It was the best sleep either of them had gotten in months.

Hours later, Preach carefully eased the door shut, a silly grin on his face, as he retreated from the hospital room. Looks like those two kids had finally "communicated" and he wasn't about to interrupt what looked like a deep slumber for both of them. He sank to the floor and scrubbed a hand over his face. He was ready to get back to his family - though the team was special and he loved each member like family, nothing could replace feeling three sets of teenage arms being thrown around his neck all at once, so many words tripping over themselves as each of his daughters clamored for his attention, and then, the sight of the one who drove his passion and kept him alive, his stunning wife, his home.

 **A/n: well, I think that wraps it up! This story was seriously so fun to write! Thanks for cheering me on!**


End file.
